


People Always Do Crazy Things (When They're in Love)

by TheSopherfly



Series: Sopherfly's Imagine Tony and Bucky prompts [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Blood, Boys Kissing, Bucky Barnes & Winter Soldier are Different Personalities, Emotional, Established Relationship, Injury, Love Confessions, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Violence, Secret Relationship, and they are both in love with Tony, dialogue from Hercules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-04 22:36:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15157109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSopherfly/pseuds/TheSopherfly
Summary: Bucky should’ve seen it coming, but he was too preoccupied putting the last three hostiles down - wasn’t looking for the gunman behind him, not until it was too late.Tony caught on a split second before Bucky did, saw the flickering red dot on the front of Bucky’s tactical gear. And Tony, the idiot, jumped into the line of fire.





	People Always Do Crazy Things (When They're in Love)

**Author's Note:**

> **Based on this prompt from ITAB:** _Something with the quote from Hercules: "people always do crazy things when they're in love", preferably with some kinda similar situation and with Bucky in Hercules' role and Tony in Megara's. XD Thank you!_
> 
> Rated teen for language and violence. Violence is brief, but added the "graphic depictions of violence" archive warning just to be safe. Many thanks to [folklejend](https://folklejend.tumblr.com/) for beta reading!

 

The mission hadn’t gone according to plan.

Bucky had gotten caught up in the front lines, which wasn’t usually a problem with all of the Avengers running point. The real problem was that these hostiles - what the hell were they? Aliens? Enhanced? - didn’t go down with just a few hits. Couldn’t be knocked out. Could only be dropped with a kill, which was against Steve’s moral code, so of course Bucky and Natasha were left to do the dirty work.

Halfway into the fight, Tony lost the suit, mechanical failure from a malfunction with the new tech. He’d brought it into combat untested, which he apparently did _all the time;_ as soon as they got back to base, Bucky was going to kill him.

Things didn’t go south until Bucky got separated from Natasha, caught in a melee with six hostiles at once. He took them down one by one, methodical, the Winter Soldier taking over to speed the process along. Bucky should’ve seen it coming, but he was too preoccupied putting the last three hostiles down - wasn’t looking for the gunman behind him, not until it was too late.

Tony caught on a split second before Bucky did, saw the flickering red dot on the front of Bucky’s tactical gear. And Tony, the idiot, jumped into the line of fire.

_Crack!_ The bullet hit and stuck, pile driving into Tony’s shoulder.

Tony went down hard and didn’t get back up.

The Winter Soldier’s deadly aim had the gunman laid out before he could fire a second shot. Four bullets in quick succession, head, throat, chest, stomach. Three of those shots were entirely unnecessary. A waste of ammo. The Soldier didn’t care. He liked brutality; he wanted to make bad people bleed.

As soon as the gunman’s bloody skull cracked against the pavement, Bucky was back in control. He turned and knelt down next to Tony, his hands finding the wound and pressing down hard before he even had a chance to think. “Tony’s hit,” Bucky barked into the comms. “I need evac.”

A frustrating, terrifying pause.

“Heading your way,” Clint replied in Bucky’s earpiece. “ETA two minutes.”

Two minutes too long. Bucky ceded just enough control to the Soldier to stave off panic. Tony was out cold; might’ve been going into shock. Shit. Why hadn’t Bucky been paying more attention?

_C’mon, doll. Wake up._

Tony’s eyes opened a fraction. The haze of unconsciousness cleared, and awareness bled slowly into warm brown irises.

“Bucky. What…” Tony glanced down to his left where Bucky’s hands were pressed down on his shoulder. _“Fuck,_ that stings.”

“I know, baby,” Bucky said, not giving a damn if anyone on comms overheard. “I got evac comin’. Just try not to move.”

Tony flashed a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You got it.”

Blood had seeped between Bucky’s fingers, staining his flesh hand, smearing over the metal of his prosthetic arm. Even with super strength to help maintain the pressure, he didn’t know how long Tony would last. He was half worried he was going to break Tony’s collarbone, but if he didn’t press hard enough-

“Bucky.”

Bucky blinked, his attention drawn back to Tony’s face. “Yeah?”

“I’m not going to die on you,” Tony said, his voice thin. “I promise. I’m okay.”

“You’re _not_ okay,” Bucky insisted. “You’re bleedin’.”

“Occupational hazard,” Tony said, and this time his eyes were bright with humor before they squeezed shut, his teeth clenched on a hiss. The moment passed, but the strain didn’t leave Tony’s expression, even when he opened his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky said, as if an apology could do anything at all.

“Hey. Stop. I’m the one who jumped in front of you, remember?” Tony tilted his head back, taking a deep, shaky breath before meeting Bucky’s eyes again. “Besides. It’s not that bad.”

Bucky could tell when Tony was lying for his benefit. “How come you’re the one who’s hurt and you’re still tryin’ to make me feel better?”

Tony’s lips twisted into a pained smile. “If you could see the look on your face, you wouldn’t be asking that question.”

Bucky cursed inwardly. This position was too inhibiting, and he wished he could free his hands long enough to trace the edges of Tony’s jaw, to brush his thumb over Tony’s mouth. He never allowed himself to get that close outside of the privacy of Tony’s room, but damn it, if this was his last opportunity - if there was any chance Tony might go and _die_ on him-

“Hey,” Tony said, reaching up and grasping Bucky’s chin firmly with his right hand. His grip softened, and then rough fingers skimmed gently over Bucky’s cheek. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.”

Bucky couldn’t explain why that made his eyes sting. He bit back against a wave of emotion, shoving it forcefully aside. He couldn’t fall to pieces now. He wouldn’t. “I’m thinkin’ that jumping into the line of fire while you weren’t wearin’ your suit was a stupid thing to do.”

Tony huffed, a small breath that hardly resembled a laugh. “Can’t argue with that.”

“Tony.” Bucky grew more serious, his intense focus fixed on Tony’s face. “You know I got the serum. You don’t have to take bullets for me.”

“I know,“ Tony said softly. He stared at Bucky, thoughtful, a depth of emotion in his eyes that Bucky didn’t quite understand. “People always do crazy things when they’re in love.”

That brought Bucky and the Soldier to a full stop. Tony was in love? In love with _him?_

That was impossible. Bucky was broken. Weak. Not good enough for Tony, whether or not Tony had enjoyed messing around the way they had these past few months. It made no sense - and somehow, confusingly, it made all the sense in the world.

“Maybe,” Bucky said, just barely finding his voice, “you can try somethin’ less crazy next time.”

“Yeah?” Tony asked, somehow managing to _flirt_ while he was bleeding out on the pavement. “You mean like… Dinner? Drinks? A moonlight serenade?”

Bucky grinned, his eyes prickling again. Hell. Tony Stark was becoming a liability, and Bucky didn’t even give a damn. “Somethin’ like that.”

“Okay,” Tony said, nodding his agreement. His smile faltered, a single tear sliding down from the outside corner of his eye. “I promise not to be so stupid next time.”

“Good.” Bucky gave in then, keeping his hands pressed on Tony’s shoulder as he leaned down to capture Tony’s lips in a kiss. He poured his heart out with the press of his lips, saying everything he wanted to say but couldn’t. _I love you too. Of course I love you. Can’t remember a time when I didn’t._ Tony met him with equal force, hooking a hand into Bucky’s hair to keep him close even when they broke apart.

“Alright, lovebirds,” came Clint’s voice in Bucky’s ear. Bucky looked up, spotting the Quinjet hovering above them. “I hate to interrupt, but did somebody order an evac?”

~

Helen’s treatment worked like a charm. With the bullet removed and the skin and muscle tissue regenerated, it was almost as if Tony had never been shot at all.

“What do you think?” Tony asked, slipping out of his blue tee to give Bucky a better view.

For a few seconds, Bucky forgot what he was supposed to be looking at. His eyes swept Tony’s well-toned abdomen, appreciative, before sliding slowly up to the spot in question. “Dunno,” Bucky said, stepping up behind Tony to trace the new skin with his fingertips. He dropped open-mouthed kisses along the ridge of Tony’s shoulder, not stopping until Tony’s head lolled to the side. “Think I can still tell the difference.”

Bucky felt more than saw Tony’s smirk. “I’d be insulted if you couldn’t.”

Bucky stayed there for a few seconds, breathing deeply, lips and nose still pressed against Tony’s skin. He couldn’t help but wonder at the fact that Tony was still here, still _his_. He’d almost lost this, whatever this thing was between them, before they’d even had the chance to define it. The thought made him want to wrap Tony tight in his arms and never let go.

“I love you, too, you know,” Bucky said quietly. The Soldier was still opposed to saying it out loud - something about fear of attachment, or maybe fear of rejection. Either way, it was time they admitted it. They were both completely gone on Tony Stark. “Sorry I couldn’t say it before.”

Tony turned in Bucky’s arms, hands moving to cradle Bucky’s face. He shook his head, denying Bucky’s apology without saying a word, stroking Bucky’s cheek with his thumb as he stared into Bucky’s eyes.

Bucky sighed into the touch. What he had done for Tony Stark to love him, he would never know. All he could do was try his damnedest to deserve it. He nuzzled into Tony’s hand, drinking in Tony’s smile, then leaned down, his lips parting Tony’s in a kiss.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Check out my [tumblr](https://sopherfly.tumblr.com/) to see what I'm currently working on, or just to say hi! :)


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